Means and method of vaginal treatment



Aug. 16, 1938. o. A. STRAUSS MEANS AND METHOD OF VAGINAL TREATMENT Filed OCT 29, 1934 INVENTOR Ma M BY M/U M025 M420 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS AND METHOD OF VAGINAL TREATMENT Oscar A. Strauss, Milwaukee, Wis. Application October 29, 1934, Serial No. 750,455 3 Claims. (01. 128-269) This invention relates to improvements in a means and method of vaginal treatment.

It is the primary obj ect of the invention to provide for the successful treatment of vaginal infections by means enabling all surfaces of the vagina to be reached for treatment.

The invention has proved useful in the treatment of trichomoniasis vaginalis. The objective is to open all folds of the vagina and to provide a medicated material in a form such as to spread thereover.

The means of application is perferably organized as a medicated douche so that when a flow of water crosses a medicated compound comprising the douche tip the medicament in concentrated form forms a film over the mucous membrane.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an instrument embodying the invention a hereinafter to be describ Figure 2 is a view of cross section in the line nd used in a treatment ed. the instrument taken in 2-2 of Figure 1.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

A tube 3 which may be made of metal, hard rubber, glass, or any other suitable material provides a handle portion and hose connection at 4 and supports a douche tip comprising a solid mass 5 of medicated material through which preferably project soft rubber fingers a relatively large number of 6. The fingers 6 are preferaelongated conical form, somewhat like the teeth of a comb. They may be attached to the supporting tube 3 by vulcanization thereto and tooth in any given row are preferably arranged helical rows as clearly The fact that each is angularly offset from the tooth preceding it, enables the teeth to reach all portions of the vaginal passage.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the means of connecting the teeth to the tube may include a rubber tube I with which the fingers 6 are integral. The

medicated mass of material 5 may conveniently be molded about the tube 3, the tube pleted instrument is passage the projecting 6. When the comfingers 6 serve to open up all of the folds of the passage and thereby to permit the medicated material free access to all surfaces.

The medicated material is preferably saponified. saponification not sufficient body to be only gives the material molded and to hold its form as a part of the instrument, but additionally, the saponification aids in the distribution of the medicament by surface tension over all of the surfaces of the vagina when these have been exposed by the action of the sponge rubber fingers. The vagina is preferably douched with water either through the supporting tube 4 or as a preliminary to the use of the instrument and the film of water remaining on the vaginal surfaces not only softens and somewhat dissolves the surface of the saponified body 5 of medicated material but facilitates the spreading thereof.

It is not essential that the device illustrated should comprise a part of a douche syringe. As above indicated, the saponified medicament may be applied after douching. The disclosed arrangement is preferred, however, as a convenient means of simultaneously douching and medicating the parts. When the water is injected, the saponified compound with water and agitation of the sponge rubber fingers scrubs the mucous surfaces and washes away all discharges and bacteria and parasites. When the fiow of water ceases a concentrated film of saponified medicated material remains as a coating to destroy infections in deeper layers of mucous membrane.

It is obviously immaterial to the present invention what medicament is employed. Various doctors using the instrument will have their own preference. ordinary medicated soap or it may comprise a special material saponified particularly for the purposes of the present invention.

For some purposes saponification need not be employed. There are numerous other well known vehicles which may be used for the medicament and which have some of the characteristics of a saponified mass. Some of these materials, like soap, have the power to spread over a wet surface and the power to dissolve slightly in the presence of water, but a saponified material is entirely satisfactory, inexpensive, and has desirable qualities which many other materials would lack.

I claim:

1. An instrument comprising the combination with a rod, of a set of sponge rubber fingers vulcanized to said rod adjacent one end thereof to project from the rod in a plurality of radial directions, and a body of saponified medicated compound having a surface soluble in water enveloping the portion of said rod to which said fingers are attached and beyond which said fingers project.

2. An instrument comprising the combination with a rod, of a set of sponge rubber fingers vulcanized to said rod adjacent one end thereof to project from the rod in a plurality of radial directions, and a body of saponified medicated compound having a surface soluble in water enveloping the portion of said rod to which said fingers are attached and beyond which said fingers project, said fingers being arranged in helical rows.

3. A douche tip comprising a tube, a set of radial fingers projecting therefrom adjacent one end and a body of saponified medicated material involving said tube and the bases of the fingers.

OSCAR A. STRAUSS. 

